Wasted Life, Broken Heart
by Jabbadahut
Summary: Fox kicked Krystal off his team, and his life then spiraled out of control. Meanwhile, Panther is hired to assassinate Peppy. Fox is called to help protect Peppy, along with an old friend and a certain blue vixen. Will Fox get Krystal back?
1. Prelude to the Storm

Pain. Emptiness. Longing. Remorse. All these things tumbled and swirled through Fox's head. Fox was in bed, if the cold, hard bunk could be classified as such. Slowly he dragged himself out of the shadowy depths of sleep and into the cruel harshness of reality. He slowly swung his legs over the side, muttering curses as his head throbbed. He glanced up, his eyes squinting in the harsh artificial light of his little room. Yawning, he slowly stretched his body, working out the kinks and the aches. He stumbled over to the door of his room, and clasped the bars. Glancing at the ceiling of the hall outside, he read the marker painted on the overhanging sign.

It read, "Cell 9."

"Wonderful."

Fox let his arms rest on the cell bars, lost in thought. He struggled to regain his memories, as he shook off the intoxication of his sleep and whatever was in his system the night before. Fox let his mind wander over is life, as he had done so often in the last few years.

It has been 3 years since Fox kicked Krystal off of his team. Fox has spent most of his life since then reflecting on his mistake. His luck ran dry, and his life spiraled out of control. His good friend Slippy was killed in a freak accident while running his arwing through mandatory system checks. No one knew exactly what happened. The arwing exploded, wiping out any trace or any hint as to what went wrong. Secretly, Fox suspected murder, but no lead ever turned up.

Falco had gone his own way, yet again. Falco said it was because he was bored. Fox privately though that Falco simply wanted to settle down with Katt, but Falco insisted that his marriage to Katt was simply a byproduct of him leaving, not the cause. Either way, Falco left, and nothing Fox could do would lure him back.

Fox tried to bring in new faces, new pilots, but none of them panned out remotely as he had hoped. Try as he might, he could find no one even comparable with the piloting skill of Falco, nor the companionship and ability to fix and tinker like Slippy had. And certainly no one to replace to love he possessed for Krystal.

"Krystal..."

Fox let his mind wander back over to the blue vixen that had so captivated his heart.

"Had nothing, dammit, she still does." Fox muttered.

His nightmares were often populated with the day when he had removed her from the team. Her face face of shock and pain was engraved in his mind. Her voice, dripping with the hurt and betrayal she felt would still ring in his ears when he awoke. He couldn't shake his feelings for her, no matter how hard he would try. Fox sighed and rubbed his face.

"You sure screwed yourself there Fox. You probably screwed her life too, just like you screw up everything you touch."

It was then that he decided to disband his team. Not that there was really anything to disband. The only one that remained from his original team was ROB, and quite honestly Fox wasn't too sad to see him go. The cold, emotionless voice had worn down Fox's nerves as he had struggled through his life.

Fox had saved money, yes he had. He should have been able to settle down to at least a comfortable life, but had decided not to. He spent it on drink, drugs, and whatever pleasures he could find. He tried to forget, he tried to drown himself in his excess, but nothing helped. Soon he was just another insignificant blip in the universe, contributing nothing, but taking up a small spot in the world.

Fox ran out of money for his apartment. He ran out of luck with drugs, and had already been busted once for trying to buy cocaine in a sting operation. But that wasn't what got Fox in jail; no, that merely resulted in an uninterested warning.

Fox furrowed his brow, trying to recall what had gotten him in jail. His head throbbed like hell, but he welcomed the pain. It slowly came back to him, like water dripping from a faucet: He'd tried to rob a bank. Emphasis on tried.

"Would have worked too if that little shriveled skunk wasn't packing a blaster and a right hook." He muttered.

And now here he was. 20 years in jail, and no one gave a crap about it. He was another reject, another wasted life. No one seemed to remember what he had done in the past, no one seemed to care. He couldn't bail himself out, and he sure as hell couldn't think of anyone left who would. He'd rot here, and then he'd get out merely to once again live in the gutter until his desperation again drew him into rash actions.

Fox stood there for several hours. He couldn't feel his legs, and he didn't give a damn. His head hurt, but he ignored it. His life gave "screwed up" an entirely new meaning. Nowhere to go, no one to love, no one who cared, no ticket out.

No ticket out yet...

**NOTE**

'Ello everyone, I'm new here. I'm doing this as a stress relief and a getaway from school. I know it was a very very short first chapter, but it's more of an introduction than anything. A catchup on what's going down in poor Fox's life. I don't spend much time writing, I prefer to simply go over stories in my head, and putting it down in words is tough for me sometimes. My grammar isn't the best, nor is my writing ability. If you have time to leave a review, I'd much appreciate it. I welcome criticism, as long as it's constructive and not just a flame. Of course, if I shouldn't quit my day job I'd like to know that too. ^.^ Thanks for reading!

Also, thank you Bryan for pointing out that I misspelled Slippy's name. Missed it on my proofread.


	2. Hint of Darkness, Spark of Hope

**On some dark street corner**

"I want someone dead."

Panther couldn't help but grin. _Just the sort of person I like. Straight and to the point. No beating around the damn bush trying to find out if I can be trusted._

"I'm sure it could be arranged," Panther replied smoothly, "I'll just need a name and I can take care of the rest. I'll also need to know the pay."

"Peppy Hare is the name, 10,000 credits is your pay. Yes or no."

Despite the fact that Panther enjoyed bluntness while dealing in his "business," he was slightly annoyed and how clipped and grainy the voice was over the cheap cellphone he was using.

"Military figures are much harder to get to, you know, and the risk is much higher. The bigger the investment, the better return you'll get."

"10,000 is final, no negotiations." The voice was cold, emotionless.

_Damn._

"I'll think about it. Is there a number I can have to get ba-"

"Yes or no." The mysterious caller was obviously in no mood for the usual banter.

_Screw him. This isn't going the way I want._

Panther disliked jumping into an agreement with so little room for maneuvering. Not that he had anything against killing, he was quite good at that and enjoyed his work. But jobs like this could sour quickly. Still, 10,000 credits...

"Very well. When do you want him-"

"As soon as possible. There are others I have called, and they are already working on this little trouble of mine. If they beat you, you don't get paid."

"Click."

_Jackass._ Panther casually turned on his heel and dropped the phone into a nearby desolate trashcan. _I don't want the bastard being able to pinpoint me. I don't really care for him, whoever he is._ Panther trudged off on the street, trying to ignore the cold drizzle that was starting to mount. Panther disliked Corneria. There was no particular reason for his dislike, there were merely many other places he would rather spend his time. _At least the pay is good, and the customers plentiful. _Panther smiled. It looked more like he was baring his teeth.

**Back to Fox**

"Wake up Fox, you have a visitor." This simple line dragged Fox from another of his nightmares. The nasally voice and the sneering face of a uniformed weasel were the first things he heard and saw as he forced his eyes open. _Bastard of a weasel. I should put a crater in his face. Not like they can make my life much worse. _Sighing, Fox stood up. _It doesn't matter. I really don't care. _

"He's here for ten minuets. Try and act like a civilized piece of useless shit, if you can." With that, the weasel walked off laughing.

_Maybe I should have punched his damn face in._

Fox stretched, and allowed a cavernous yawn to escape his mouth. He then deliberately looked at the floor. He didn't give a damn what people wanted to say to him at this point, and he didn't mind showing it. _Whoever it is, they can go to hell. I'm tired._

"Hello Fox. I never really expected to see you here, considering everything that you'd done in the past."

_Oh bloody, bloody, bloody hell. This is going to be awkward._

Fox looked up. Sure enough, the face he saw was an exact match with the voice that he had preserved in his memories. Fox forced out a small smile, then looked back down again. _Just when I thought it couldn't get worse._

"Morning Peppy. It's been a while."

"Why exactly did you do it Fox? Really. I expect better of you. Robbing a bank wasn't something I saw in your future."

Fox grated his teeth. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to be having.

"Well, life hasn't been going great."

"That's your excuse?"

_Why is he doing this? He doesn't need to. _

"Dammit Peppy!" Fox was starting to raise his voice. "There isn't an excuse. I know it, and you don't need to rub it in my face. I screwed up, I know it. If all you came here is to give my a damn sermon then get the hell out!"

Peppy sat calmly as Fox let off steam.

"I'm not here to lecture you, I don't think you need it. I came here to offer you a deal."

Fox turned and looked at Peppy again. _A deal? What type of deal? Will it get me out of here? _There was a momentary rush of adrenaline, but Fox killed it. He was tired of letting his hopes rise up only to be crushed by reality. He wasn't going to let himself be dragged down that way again, not when he was stuck in the depressing state he was in.

"What type of deal." Fox made sure he kept his voice flat and uninterested.

"I need your help. It would be a job – of sorts- and it is a temporary way for you to get out of this hellhole. Pending completion, it may be upgraded to a permanent ticket. This of course is assuming that you want to job."

Fox felt a faint spark of hope start to bud down in his chest, but again, he squashed it. _Don't be dragged down again, don't be dragged down..."_

"What's the job?" Fox continued with his disinterested inflection.

"Protection. Protecting someone, to be more precise."

"Really? Whose the dumbass in question that needs protecting, and why the hell isn't he asking the police instead?"

"The dumbass is me." Peppy allowed a faint smile to creep onto his face as his noticed Fox's ears start to change to a slightly pinker shade."

"Ah, um... Sorry." Fox managed to choke out. "But the point still stands, why not go to the police? Why me? Do you need an expendable waste of space to take a shot or two?"

"You're an old friend. Why shouldn't I ask you? I trust you, despite your altercation that landed you here." Peppy was starting to enjoy this exchange, as he could tell Fox was weakening.

"You aren't worried at all?" Fox shot back. His hope was steadily growing, despite his attempts to squash it. Peppy could tell by the way Fox's shoulders raised higher, and how his voice grew steadier, that he was warming up to the idea.

"The only thing I'm worried about is why you got your ass kicked by a shriveled skunk. I thought you were better than that."

Fox was stung, despite the humor in Peppy's voice.

"I was.. well.. umm... I was... drunk... and..." Fox's excuses trailed off. His professional pride had taken a blow once he had realized it himself, and Peppy calling him on it didn't help.

"It doesn't matter. I need help, you're an old friend, and I have reasons for choosing you over normal means of protection."

"What are the details?"

"You don't need to know them if you aren't going to accept the offer."

"You expect me to accept a job without knowing the details?

"I expect you to want a ticket out of here."

Fox knew he should say yes. _Dammit, it's a way out working for an old friend, why wouldn't I? _Something was nagging Fox at the back of his mind, though, which caused him to hesitate.

"You sure you won't tell me anything about it?"

"When you say yes I will."

Fox sighed again. Outwardly he was annoyed, but inside he was having trouble controlling himself. _I'm getting out, my God, I'm going to get out. _Still, he slowly rose and pretended to still be thinking.

"Fine. Yes."

Peppy broke out into a grin.

"Give me twenty minuets and I'll have you out of here."

Seventeen minuets later, Fox was walking out of the prison with his head spinning. Thirty minuets ago, he was jailed with no hope, and didn't care. Now he was walking out into the sunlight again. His life was still empty, and his heart still broken, but he was free again. _I'll be damned if I'm going to let this chance pass by. _Life still sucked like hell, but it was getting better. Slowly but surely, getting better. As he was walking out the door behind Peppy, he noticed the nasally weasel at the counter, talking with a feline policewoman. _I guess I shouldn't punch him, but still... _Fox turned, and waited until the weasel noticed him. Fox then slowly, deliberately, flipped the bird to the weasel, and sauntered out the door, ignoring the squeal of rage behind him that was suddenly cut off as the door behind him closed. _God, it feels good to act like a child sometimes. _

Life was definitely getting better.


	3. Hello Again

Peppy strode briskly across the outside parking lot, raincoat pulled over his head as he muttered various profanities directed at the inclement weather. Fox came dashing away from the prison in an effort to catch up. Fox had already been given the things he was wearing at the time he was inducted into the prison. Faded jeans, a well worn T-shirt with "The Offspring" logo on it, and a jacket were all the things he'd owned. It wasn't much, but it felt good to wear them again.

"What kept you Fox?"

"Oh, nothing, just had a little message for the prison guard."

"A message? Was it the same prison guard that brought me down to you?

"Um, yes, as a matter of-"

"I would be careful Fox, if you fail he's going to make your life hell when you get dragged back here." Peppy chuckled softly under his breath. He knew Fox well enough to know that the message wasn't about having a nice day. Fox shot Peppy and injured look, which was completely lost on the back of Peppy's head.

"It was nothing like that. You don't even know what I said."

"No, but I believe I could hazard a few guesses."

"Actually, I didn't say anything at all." Fox said with the air of an arrogant six year old that had used a perversion of logic to "prove" that the sun and the moon were the same thing.

"Ah. Getting into obscene gestures, are we?"

Fox was caught off guard by Peppy's observation, but he changed gears.

"It won't matter. I don't plan on failing."

"That would be the best course of action. Here we are, hurry and get in. Let's go." Peppy was smiling still, although he didn't let Fox see it. He had enjoyed the entire exchange, from the cell to the walk to his car. He appreciated the fact that Fox could make him smile even during times as such. Peppy slowly sat himself into the drivers seat, as Fox took the liberty of plopping himself contentedly into the passengers seat. _Personal AC. A soft seat. A job. Don't screw this up Fox, dammit, don't you dare._ He reflexively wrapped his jacket tightly around him, and felt an odd bulge near the bottom left. This was his favorite jacket, he knew it inside and out, but the bulge... What was it? He tried to revive the memory of what it was from the dark and murky pool of his memory, His brow clenched with effort, he struggled to dig into his stained past that he wished he could just leave. After several seconds, with no luck, he gave up and made a mental note to check on the bulge after he'd gotten settled, wherever he was staying. As these thoughts were racing through his mind, his mouth ran on autopilot.

"Now what about those job details?"

"Right. Here's the story. At 1900 hours I received word that several groups of assassins had been contacted concerning me. One you know well, Panther Caruso."

As Peppy was talking, he slowly pulled a miniature CD player out of his glove compartment. He paused his speech, and hit play. The recorded conversation played over the small speakers. Fox recognized the smooth yet deadly voice of Panther. He could not place the other voice, however. It was grainy and clipped, and obviously wanted the conversation over as quickly as possible. The conversation ran it's course, and Peppy replaced the CD player into it's former place in the glove compartment, and shut the small door with an emphatic "click."

Fox interjected.

"Peppy, isn't recording conversations.. Oh, I don't know, against the law?" Fox's comment was laced with disapproval. Peppy sighed.

"Yes it is, and no, I don't approve either. But then again, what I did to get you out of prison wasn't entirely legal either, so you have no reason to complain." Peppy quickly steered the conversation away before Fox could object.

"If you'll notice at the end of the message, the person who hired Panther said he'd hired others. He wants me taken out, and isn't afraid of spending money to get me taken out. Now after hearing this, you may have figured out why I didn't want the police. Police, while being outstanding officers and protectors of laws, can at times be susceptible to bribes. This is why I wanted trusted friends."

Fox noted that Peppy had used the plural, "friends." He made a mental note to ask Peppy about that once he had finished.

"The job is simple. Don't let me die. Your pay is – well, actually, you aren't getting paid in the usual sense of the word. You won't receive money. You will receive a pardon and you will receive, during the time of your employment, free board and lodge. Seeing as you are an old friend, I see no reason you could not stay slightly longer after your job is completed until you find your footing in the world. This is again assuming I don't die. Any questions?"

Fox was carefully thinking over what Peppy had gone through. No, he had no problem with he plan, nor his payment, but the itching in the back of his head was still there. It had grown when Peppy had used the plural for friends, but he didn't know why.

"Just one. Who will I be working with?"

There was a slight pause, as Peppy pretended to be watching the road carefully for a few seconds.

_Damn, he's stalling. _

"A few old acquaintances of mine is all. Actually, you probably know them better than I do. Ah, we're here." Peppy parked his car, and motioned Fox to get out. They were standing in front of Peppy's personal home. It was rather expansive, Fox noticed, but he also noticed from a more practical standpoint that it would be fairly easy to spot someone attempting to sneak his way to the house. Fox shook the thoughts away though, and followed Peppy inside. _I want to know who I'm working with first, before I forget._

"Who in particular am I working with Peppy, could I have the names?"

Peppy had led him into his personal study, and preoccupied himself for a few minuets sorting out documents that were lying there. Fox still hadn't received his answer.

"Peppy? I'd like to know please."

"About wh- Ah, yes, the people you're working with. Well, um, lets see. There's two of them, actually. One of them is Falco, a very good friend of yours if I remember correctly."

_How the hell did he lure Falco into this?_

"The second is... well... is..."

_Spit it out already..._

"A bounty hunter, called, ah... Kursed."

"Who the hell is Kursed? I don't recall working with him."

"Ah, well, actually, it's a... um... her, not him. I'm fairly sure you'll remember when you see her."

Peppy was interrupted as the study door creaked open. The painful squeal of hinges that needed oil diverted Fox's attention to the door, subconsciously reaching for his blaster. A lithe figure wearing a full-length pink biking assortment complete with helmet, with tones of creamy white, strolled into the room. A quick scan by Fox alerted him that she was carrying a blaster. Fox tensed. His fingers tightened on his own blaster.

"Fox, this is Kursed."

_What the hell? I've never worked with "Kursed" before._

The mysterious biker pulled off her helmet.

"Hello Fox. It's been a while." The voice was cold, unfriendly. But Fox knew all too well who it was. Looking at her face only confirmed it.

_Oh damn._..

**A Quick Catchup on Krystal, AKA Kursed**

"So, do you wanna come down to my pad? I'm sure I can think of some entertai-"

"No thanks, I have an appointment." Kursed cut off the advance with the quick and cold statement. She was in no mood to be hit on. She'd come in to the bar for a drink right quick, not to have some hormonal dog who thought he knew about picking girls up to try a line on her. _Damn lame line. You'd think males would eventually think up new ways to go about it. _Kursed finished her drink, ignored the Collie who had previously been eying her, and strode out the door into the street. It was chilly, with a slight drizzle, but Kursed didn't care. She had somewhere to be.

It had been three days since she'd received a call from Peppy, who had requested her help. _I don't know how the guy found me, but he must have tried damn hard. _Kursed had tried as hard as she could to leave everything in her past behind. She was first expelled from team Starfox, and then left team Starwolf of her own volition. _Mainly because of Panther. The damn guy was an egocentric moron with __nothing on his mind except how to get in the next girl's bed. _She used to be known as Krystal, but to fully leave her past she needed a new name. She became known as "Kursed," a strangely fitting alias. She'd become a bounty hunter, and had run as far away as she could.

She ran from her friends. She ran from Panther. She ran from Fox most of all. But even though she tried, she could not run from her memories. They plagued her, they dogged her every step. She hated the memories with Fox most of all. _Damn him. I thought he loved me, and the asshole went and.. No, no, don't think about it. Forget it. _After all this time, she still could not come to grips with Fox removing her from his team, and consequently from his life. She thought at first that it was because he didn't want her to get hurt, but he'd never told her. So instead the seed of doubt took root. _He did it because he didn't love me. He hated me. He didn't think I fought well enough to justify being on his damn team. Screw him. Screw them all._

These were the thoughts going through her mind as she rode her bike to Peppy's house, where she was asked to meet him. He hadn't given her many details, but that mattered little. She trusted him_. Unlike a certain damn vulpine_. She sighed, and pulled into the driveway. She noticed the car in the driveway. _Good. He's home. _She dismounted from her bike, and strode across the lawn to the door. She briefly consider knocking. _Why the hell do I care about knocking?_ She strode right in. She tapped into her powers of telepathy to try and locate Peppy. _He's in his study. And someone's with him._ Kursed tried to identify the unnamed person, but she was unable to tell distinctly. Her abilities were confused by the large amounts of sadness and pain radiating from the visitor. _Someones an emotional wreck here. _

She quickly and surely strode through the house, until she reached the door. It was closed. _I didn't give a damn about knocking the first time, why should I give a damn now. _She pushed open the door. An annoying painful squeak announced her presence to the two in the room. She recognized one as Peppy. The other turned around to face her, hand on his blaster. _It couldn't be... no..._

_Oh, damn..._

**NOTE**

**Well, here's chapter three. I haven't really made it clear, but the main part of the story is going to be Fox and Krystal/Kursed, if you haven't deduced that yet. The assassination thingy is continuous side plot that is necessary in order to bring them back together. If they actually end up together again remains to be seen.**

**I've double-checked this for typos, but if you see any please let me know. I have a horrible tendency to pass over typos repeatedly without noticing.**


	4. A Senseless Employer

_There is no way on heaven nor hell..._

Fox's jaw slacked, and his mind whirred like a busy computer fan. Millions of thoughts, emotions, feelings, and memories twisted and turned through his head as if stuck in a vortex. Fox wanted to talk, but he found he didn't know what to say.

_Just say something, Fox, common_

Fox was getting desperate. He tried to snatch a memory from his raging mind, but every time he tried the memory would dance away from his grasp, mocking him.

_Damn it Fox, anything!_

Fox tried to remember inside jokes. He tried to remember something that only he and Kursed would know about, and maybe she'd understand... _Understand what?_ _What am I trying to accomplish? Am I trying to apologize? Am I trying to be indifferent?Am I going to try to pretend nothing was wrong? _Fox was running out of ideas, and was painfully aware of each awkward second that ticked by as he tried to compose his thoughts. He felt himself getting faint

_ANYTHING Fox, just don't lock up dammit!_

"Hi, Krystal..." Fox trailed off, completely lost and clueless as to what to do next. Mentally, he was busy berating his ineptness in front of the vixen he so loved, yet whose life he'd so destroyed.

_Really Fox? "Hi" is all you could think of? Well damn, you could make a blockbuster movie around that little nugget of goodness, couldn't you?_

Kursed interrupted Fox's self-inflicted mental beatdown.

"Kursed, Fox. My name is Kursed." Her voice was like chipped ice, jagged and cold. She strode past him without another glance, and began to converse with Peppy as if Fox wasn't in the room.

"You told me that you'd given me all the details to the job, Peppy." Kursed kept her voice level and her demeanor cold.

"Well, I told you just about everything, yes."

"You didn't tell me Fox would be here Peppy." Kursed added a dangerous edge to her voice. Peppy was getting nervous now, and rightfully so.

"I was hoping your, uh, professionalism would overcome any emotional shortcomings."

"Shortcomings?" Kursed let her voice drop down even lower, with a lightly-veiled snarl behind it.

"Not shortcomings, I mean-"

"I know exactly what you mean asshole."

"I'm sorry Kursed, it's just -"

"Shut. The. Hell. Up."

Peppy wisely steered the discussion into safer waters.

"Your room is located off to the left side of the east hall, first room. Here's your room key. Let me know if you need-" Kursed didn't let him finish. She snatched the small ornate key away from Peppy with frightening speed, breaking his middle finger. Peppy yelped.

"I need you to start thinking with your damn brain instead of your ass. You think you can handle that?" Peppy was not one to back down, in his own house no less, but some primeval instinct told him to stand down.

"Yes Kursed."

"Good."

Kursed turned and strode angrily out of the room, knocking Fox's shoulder as she passed hard enough to spin him partly around. Fox didn't notice. He was in some sort of emotional shock; his eyes were slightly glazed, and his jaw slack. He turned slowly to Peppy, who was just recovering from being cowed in his own territory. Peppy was expecting a slightly shellshocked Fox, but not...

"What the HELL were you thinking Peppy?" Fox yelled.

"Fox, I knew there were some issue between the two, but I figured it was nothing you two couldn't overcome." Peppy had just now resumed him normal officers posture, albeit while nursing his finger, after scraping and bowing to keep Kursed from dismantling him. Unfortunately, Fox was in no mood to be placated. His wounds, memories, longing, and hurt bubbled to the surface.

"You figured huh? You have no idea what the hell you've done here. If your house is still standing by this time tomorrow it will be because God intervened. Of ALL the damn things you could have screwed with, you had to screw with me and her and our past. There's a REASON she never came back to talk to me, and now an above-it-all-dumbass goes an re-earths the whole damn situation!" Peppy was back in "cowed" mode. Fox was livid, and his voice was both raised and cracked with his emotion. Fox's muscles were tightened. His eyes were burning now. Burning with rage, shame, self-hate, and something... something else

"Fox, I'm sorry, I didn't know all the details between you two..."

"Go screw yourself Peppy." Fox didn't scream it. He stated it. As if he expected Peppy to go do it. There was an awkward wait, as Peppy tried to discern if Fox was a threat to kill him as well. Fox was trying to get a hold on himself. Finally, his muscles relaxed slightly, and his eyes calmed down.

"Where am I staying?" Fox's voice was slightly modulated now. Peppy took that as a good sign.

"Second room of the east hall, on the left."

_Is Peppy serious?_

"The same hall as Kursed, with a room directly adjacent?"

"Well, yes... Is that a bad thing?" Peppy said with the clueless air of a five year old who'd just sent a ball through a window.

"Peppy, you are either the biggest dumbass on the planet, or you are deliberately trying to create some type of reaction of mass destruction." Fox sighed, and took the key with an air of resignation.

"Your house, not mine. I'm sure as hell not paying for the damages."


	5. March of Memories

_Wonderful. Just wonderful. Exactly what my life needed. To be reunited with a girl that's going to kill me, skin me, dice me up, and if she's in a very good mood, do it in that damn order. Meanwhile my heart is telling me that would be fine as long as she talks to me while she works._

Fox gave an exasperated sigh. Hadn't he told himself not to get his hopes up? Not get dragged down again? And yet again, he'd dragged his sorry ass into yet another sticky predicament.

_God help me. At this point, he's one of the few that can.._

Fox finally managed to locate the eastern hallway of Peppy's rather expansive home. The home itself was nice, very spacious and well furnished. Peppy seemed to have a little thing for exotic wall-mounts of foreign plants, which Fox had no interest in whatsoever, yet Fox had to admit they went well along the color of the walls. The walls were a light blue, seeming to radiate a strangely false exuberance.

_Or maybe I'm just __making__ it false._

Fox strode down the hall, suddenly disinterested in the house. He just wanted to get to his room so he could be alone with his thoughts.

_Second door on the left. That's what he said, wasn't it? And Kursed had the first. Huh. Kursed. First. Kursed. Firs-Oh, get a grip Fox._

Fox jammed his key into the second door as hard as he could. It was a childish thing to do, as if somehow trying to run the key through the keyhole and out the other side of the door would suddenly grant him relief to his problems. Unfortunately, it didn't. It merely compounded them.

**Snap**

_Oops..._

Fox stared down at the now-half-a-key he was holding.

_Damn it damn it DAMN it! _

Fox irately turned and chucked the key down the hall, ignoring the abrasive sound of the now much shorter metal key skipping wildly across the wooden floor. Fox turned back to examine the door. The door was made of fine old oak, with a deep mahogany tint to go along with the ornate details around the edges. The door handle appeared to be a simple metal compound, colored to appear to be old silver.

Fox bent down to examine what the bolt was fashioned out of. He peered into the small crack between the door and the doorjamb. After peering intently for a few second, Fox swore. He stood up, rolled his eyes, and tried the handle. The door opened smoothly into Fox's room. Still muttering various expletives, Fox strode into the room.

The room was much like the rest of the house. The light blue walls were just as falsely cheerful as before, and there were two excellent plant specimens on each wall. There was one queen sized bed, with a slightly darker blue bedspread. Directly across from the bed was a simple oak dresser boasting a medium-sized plasma TV mounted on top. There were no windows, and the light was provided from four bulbs stationed strategically across the ceiling. Off to his right there was a tidy bathroom, with a small walk-in shower. With a cursory glance Fox noted that the bathroom was already stocked with towels and paper. He also noted that Peppy was thoughtful enough to pre-stock it with some generic deodorant, toothpaste, and a toothbrush.

Normally upon entering a room, one would unpack his stuff and get settled in. However, Fox didn't have anything to unpack. Unless he wanted to strip down to his birthday suit and tuck those clothes away, Fox had no use for the dresser. The TV would have it's uses later, but for now Fox simply wanted to rest and recuperate from an emotionally taxing day. Without further ado, Fox collapsed onto the bed. Slowly, Fox cycled through the day's events. Peppy had come. Peppy had come for Fox. He'd given Fox a job and a way out of hell.

_Out of one hell, and into another..._

Then had come the news that Kursed would be working with him. Then in came Kursed, and out came the fact that Kursed was Krystal, and that she obviously wasn't particularly happy to see him. Then up came the memories, and down plunged Fox into them. Now here was Fox, after all this time of not knowing where Krystal was, he was sitting approximately fifty feet away from her, separated only by a wall.

_And our conflicting emotions._

Fox sat up, rubbing his face with his left paw, supporting himself with his right. He allowed his mind to wander aimlessly.

_Do I still love her? Of course I do. She takes up almost every dream I have. I can't get her out of my head. That means I love her, doesn't it? _

A nagging seed of doubt voiced its opinions from the back of his head.

_You already gave up your love for her, remember? You let it go with her when you kicked her off your team. You don't remember your reasons? You had said that true love was letting your love go if it meant keeping her safe. Surely you remember, Fox..._

Fox lashed back at himself and his doubts.

_I sacrificed our love for keeping her safe, it doesn't mean the love is dead! It just means I put it aside. It was a stupid thing to do, anyway. It was misguided. I shouldn't have done it, damn it, I wish I could take it back, I wish I could-_

The seed of doubt smoothly pushed Fox back down. _You can't take it back Fox. It's done. You and her that's done too. It's over, Fox; let it go. _

Fox was confused. He wasn't sure which side of himself was right. He couldn't decide if he should be angry, or sad, or anything at all.

_Hell, I can't even decide if I still love the damn vixen. Or if I should._

Confused and irate at his inability to piece together his emotional mess, Fox tried to think of something else.

_Wasn't there something I wanted to check out? Damn it, why can't I think straight... I was in the parking lot of the jail... I got into Peppy's car... I had on my jacket... My jacket, that was it!_

Fox sat up straight now, feeling the bottom seam of his jacket. He remembered there was something there, something that he couldn't quite recall. He slipped the jacket off, and examined the seam.

_There's something inside. Didn't I put something in here? Damn it, why can't I seem to remember anything?_

He refocused himself on the investigation at hand. Carefully, Fox pulled a hole in his jacket just big enough to see what was inside. He winced as he felt the threads give. It was his favorite jacket, and he disliked tearing it. After making a slight hole, he peered inside. He could make out what appeared to be a piece of paper, but was unable to tell if there was anything on it. He hesitated to further rip his jacket, but his curiosity was growing. Fox carefully widened the hold, and pulled out the piece of paper.

It was a photo.

_Oh God..._

Fox remembered now.

_ A few years before _

"What is it Fox? What did you want me for?" Krystal hurried into the center of one of the few public parks that Corneria had to offer. It was dark, nearing midnight, and the moon threw haunting shadows on the uneven pavement. Krystal shivered and wrapped her coat tighter around herself. She was uncomfortable being out like this without someone by her side. Tonight though, Fox had given her a call and asked her to meet him here. She didn't know why, but she'd agreed. Now she was here, but where was Fox?

"Fox? Fox? Are you here?"

"Right here Krys." Krystal let out a startled yelp and jumped. Fox was off to her right, sitting on one of the generic green benches in the shadows. She hadn't noticed him, and was too distracted with the dark to feel him with her mind.

"Don't do that Fox! You scared me." Krystal admonished him.

"Sorry Krystal, I didn't mean to, honestly. "A few awkward moments passed, as they both stared at each other. Krystal stared in expectation of being told why she'd been dragged out here. Fox stared back with the lost look of a male who has no idea what the hell he's doing. Finally, Fox snapped out of his stupor.

"Hey Krys, sorry. Um, I uh.. I have something.. for, uh, I mean.. I have something to show you." Fox was having trouble relaying the words form his mind to his mouth. Krystal was mystified with Fox's behavior, but came willingly and sat by Fox. Fox slowly fumbled with a package that he'd had beside him. The package was wrapped with a simple brown paper, with a neatly tied white ribbon.

"I, uh... thought you might, uh.. well..I don't know.." Fox said, obviously feeling uncomfortable.

"Feeling particularly literate today, aren't we?" Krystal teased him.

"Well, uh.. why don't you just open it?"

"Oh.. okay." Krystal said. She was still rather bemused about the entire situation, but she saw no reason not to accept whatever this was Fox was giving her. Slowly, she removed the wrapping to uncover a small, plain white box.

"Go on, open it up." Fox had regained enough confidence to speak normally.

"Alright, I still don't understand why- Oh! Fox!" Krystal opened the box to reveal shining necklace made of deep back stones. Now she began to understand.

"I kinda, uh, saw them in a store, and figured... I dunno.. maybe you'd like it." Fox's ear where turning a peculiar shade of pink.

"I love them Fox." Krystal said, and she meant it with all her heart. She knew now what this was all about. Her head was spinning.

_He liked me after all! _

"I don't really know, uh, all that much about color coordination or anything, so I don't know if it really fits you or anything, or if you like that color, or-" As Fox was talking, his ears reddened to the point where they were nearly luminous. To the casual observer, it would appear someone had installed neon into both.

"They're perfect Fox, they really are." Krystal said. She was beaming now. She'd slowly over the past few months realized that she felt much more comfortable around Fox. He made her laugh, he loosed her up, and he'd saved her life the first time she'd saw him. The only problem was that Fox didn't seem entirely comfortable around _her. _Now she realized that it was simply Fox not knowing how to express himself in an intelligent way around her.

_The necklace isn't particularly stylish, but I wouldn't value anything over this._

"I'm, uh glad you like it." Fox said and gave an awkward grin. Fox had no idea where the hell he was taking this next.

_Why the hell didn't I think this through? Think Fox, say something..._

"Anyway, um, so-" Fox's words were interrupted by a blinding flash. For the second time in the park that night, a yelp pierced through the night in the center of the park. Except this time, it came from Fox.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Fox yelled, his voice hitting at a much higher register than normal.

"Ah, now isn't this a touching moment..." Peppy said, stepping out from the trees, holding a camera.

"Peppy? What the hell are you doing?" Fox blurted out the question in an almost defensive tone. He hadn't expected to be followed, let alone..

"I just thought you'd like to have this little moment preserved for posterity is all. Slippy told me that you were giving Krystal something here tonight, so I put two and two together and brought a camera. Of course, I was expecting a show, so I'm rather disappointed." Peppy's grin nearly split his face in two.

"YOU DAMN BASTARD" Fox yelled as he jumped off the bench, leaving Krystal clutching her sides and doubled over in laughter as she watched Fox chase Peppy around in the moonlight.

Fox had gotten the photo off of Peppy, and he'd kept it. He'd put it in his jacket to keep it close to him. Fox used to tell his friends that it brought him good luck, until all his friends were gone. He'd forgotten about it after a while, as he tried to forget the past. It sure as hell hadn't brought him any luck.

Fox sat staring at the photo for several minutes, completely lost in the memories of that night. Slowly, imperceptibly, a tear rolled down his face and dropped onto the photo. As the tear splashed against the photo, it seemed to trigger all of the pent up emotions Fox had been saving. One by one, tear by tear, each memory rolled down his face in an endless cascade. For the first time since he could remember, Fox wept.

**NOTE** A big thanks to sleddog116 for beta-ing this chapter. Thanks dude! As always, I appreciate reviews and constructive criticism, but not flames. Thanks!


	6. Shattered Dreams

Kursed wasn't happy. In fact, she was rather upset.

_Damn him damn him DAMN HIM! _

Kursed wasn't completely sure if she was angry with Peppy, angry with Fox, or if she was angry with both of those bastards. All Kursed was able to piece together from her mind was that she was angry. Unfortunately for Peppy, his house would have to bear the brunt of her rage as Kursed attempted to relieve some of her stress.

*_**Crash. Thunk.* **__DAMN HIM!_

Kursed was in the process of systematically destroying the room Peppy had given her to sleep in. If someone had walked into her room at this exact moment in time, they would have thought that it was a spawning place for hurricanes. Bits and pieces of glass, formerly parts of vases and intricate pottery, graced the floor. The walls, which were the same light-blue color, were marred with scratches. The walls also had several dents and holes, courtesy of Kursed and her hands and feet. The flat screen TV that was sitting upon her dresser was emitting sparks from a head-sized hole right in the middle of the screen. The bed sheets and pillowcases were completely shredded beyond recognition, with no hint of the former cohesivenessand wholeness they had before. The room Kursed had was originally a carbon copy of the one Fox had moved into. If someone compared the two in the present moment however, they would swore that wasn't possible.

Kursed strode around her room looking for more smashable trinkets she could disintegrate. She adrift on the sea of her emotions. All those pent up emotions. They were spilling over now, and Kursed didn't attempt to stop them. She them flow through her and consume her.

_Bastards. Those mother- *__**CRASH* **__bastards! _

Twenty minutes later, Kursed's anger was still not quite spent. Her energy, however, was. Exhausted from her battle with the inanimate objects in her new room, she threw herself down on what was left of her bed. Slowly trying to calm herself down, she sifted through the raging mess of her emotions and memories.

Kursed decided she wasn't overly upset with Peppy. He was idiotic sometimes, and in this case a jackass, but she could never stay angry with him long. Back when she was still with Starfox, Peppy was like a father to her. Peppy had always been patient, kind, loving, and humorous. Peppy had been wise and thoughtful, and a deep well of understanding when she needed guidance. While his bringing her and Fox back together was stupid of him, she couldn't find a way to think that it was of malicious intent.

_Just real damn stupid._

Fox was an entirely different matter.

_Fox McCloud..._

Kursed was angry with him, without doubt. He'd taken so much away from her. Fox had been the bastard that had taken her heart, ground it between his hands, and shoved it back into her chest. Fox had been the one that had mangled and ruined her emotions.

_Fox was the one that betrayed me..._

Kursed simply sat there on her bed, staring blindly into nothingness.

_He's the one..._

_ A few years back_

Krystal could tell Fox was nervous. Very nervous. Naturally, this made Krystal rather excited. In her time with Starfox, she'd personally witnessed Fox remove fingernails, crack bones, gun down shady characters, and endure more than a little pain of his own. But Fox getting nervous just didn't happen.

It had started when he had invited her out for a walk on the beach. A walk was romantic enough, but a walk on the beach? With Fox nervous? After knowing him for as long and as personally as she did?

_Maybe it's a promotion. Or a gift. _

Krystal laughed to herself. The last time she'd seen Fox like this was back when he'd given her that necklace in the park at midnight. It was wonderful, touching, thoughtful, and Fox's expression when Peppy popped out of the dark was the cherry on top. Krystal continued giggling at the memory as she slipped her lithe body into a casual sundress.

_Or maybe... Maybe he'll... Propose!_

This was an exciting thought, and one that made her slightly nervous. Krystal had imagined that scenario many times before, and had long since thought up of all the things she'd say, and how wonderful their life would be. Anyone with a working pair of eyes could tell the two belonged together, and Krystal had occasionally amused herself with thinking ahead a little. Just a little. Still, thinking about how close that moment might be made her knees tremble.

Krystal checked herself in the mirror to ensure she looked her best, and strode out of the house. The house was a quaint, private affair situated on a long and luxurious private beach. Fox had rented it just a few days earlier, informed Krystal, and they'd just moved in yesterday to complete an impromptu "vacation." Fox had been growing increasingly nervous and restless in the days coming up to renting the beach-house, and that anxiety seemed to grow up until now. Krystal wasn't able to make out what he was thinking, so she took the liberty of indulging herself in a few scenarios to explain his behavior. And a proposal seemed to fit like a glove.

_I wonder if I look oka-I'm fine, I'm fine. Just walk. Just walk. Be natural._

Krystal strode off the porch and down to the shore, going nice and slowly to enjoy the wonderful view . It was sunset, and the sky radiated with various hues and shades of pink and orange. The sea, resting below the cascade of color, was calm and serene. And there was Fox, down at the shore, as anxious as ever. Krystal smiled and quickened her pace.

"Hey Fox, you ready to take that walk?" Krystal said. She struggled to keep her voice calm, fighting the rising excitement. Fox however, seemed lost in thought.

"Fox? Are you okay?" Fox snapped out of it.

"Oh, I'm uh.. Sorry Krystal. It's just. Uh... Yeah, I'm ready." Fox seemed to sigh as he finished.

_Strange, he seems... almost sad. Shouldn't he be happy?_

"Come on, Krystal; let's go." Fox said. His voice was definitely tinged with sadness, a sadness Krystal couldn't identify.

The two foxes strode off to the right, slowly trudging their way to nowhere in particular. Krystal was upbeat, but Fox was... Fox was slow. Fox was uninterested in the beautiful sky or the many shells that Krystal ran ahead to point out. Fox wasn't interested in anything, and Krystal couldn't figure out why. Fox's drudgery began to effect Krystal, and eventually she quieted down and matched Fox's pace. Krystal was perturbed.

_Something's wrong.. Something has to be. But no, he's going to propose to me! I mean, he has to. There isn't another explanation... _

By the time the pair had walked twenty miles, the novelty of the walk was beginning to wear off of Krystal. Fox hadn't talk once, nor had he cheered up. And ominous cloud seemed to hang over himself and the feeling he radiated. Krystal couldn't help but feel concerned. Finally, Krystal broke the ice and got straight to the point.

"Fox, what's wrong?"

Fox turned and looked at her, directly at her, for the first time that evening. Fox's eyes were filled with pain and hurt, sorrow, self hate, and a conflicting pool of emotions. Krystal didn't see the eyes she was used to, and certainly not the eyes of a man about to offer his life to a woman. After staring at her for several seconds, Fox spoke.

"I'm sorry Krystal."

Krystal was a bit surprised. She didn't remember him doing anything wrong. Was this whole thing to apologize for something he'd thought had offended her?

"What do you mean Fox? What are you talking about." Krystal said, obviously confused. The previous excitement was now replaced with a cold hard lump of worry and doubt.

"You won't like what I'm about to do, and I don't think you'll let me apologize after it's said so I wanted it get it out of the way first." Fox looks completely depressed at this point, and Krystal's worry was mounting rapidly. This wasn't looking like a proposal anymore.

"Fox? I... I don't understand? I'll forgive you darling, just tell me. Please?" Krystal had seen Fox beat himself up for his perceived mistakes before, but this was different. The look in his eyes was not something she'd ever seen before.

"Krystal... I... I just..." Fox's voice was cracking. Krystal stopped.

"Fox? What's wrong? Tell me."

"I just... don't..." Fox looked down. He couldn't seem to form the words he loathed, but felt like it was his duty to say.

"Now please, Fox, you know I'm understanding. Just tell me." Krystal added a small smile to the end, hoping to cheer him up. For some reason, it only seemed to make him worse. Seconds passed. Then minuets. After what seemed to be an eternity, Fox finally mustered up enough courage and control to speak.

"It's over, Krystal." Fox said. He'd said this while looking at the ground. He couldn't face her.

_What?_

"W... What do you mean? Fox? Is everything okay?" Krystal was scared now, and confused.

"Krystal I.. I'm removing you from my team." Fox said. Fox was still looking down.

_What the hell?_

"Fox, I don't know why the hell you think this is funny, bu-."

"I'm serious, Krystal. I'm sorry. It's over."

Silence.

For the next ten minutes, there was no sound. There was no breeze. There was no time either. There was just two foxes, standing in the middle of nowhere in particular. Krystal couldn't talk. She couldn't form words, she couldn't move, she couldn't think. Not by her own volition, anyway. Krystal's thoughts had quite literally a mind of their own, and they raced up and down her mind faster than ever before.

_What? What... What just.. What the hell?_

Once she had regained control of her mouth, she tried talking.

"Fox." Krystal's voiced cracked, but she composed herself quickly. "I don't.. Are you.. Fox, are you serious?" Krystal was scared. She was frightened. Normally she would turn to Fox, as she had so often since what seemed like forever, but it was Fox that was causing her fear.

"I'm sorry Krystal. I'm so, so sorry. It's not because I don't... It's..." Fox didn't get any further. Krystal ran.

Krystal ran from the beach, from the house, trying to escape. But she couldn't run from herself. She panted wildly, her dress billowing behind her. Dimpling the ground was a trail of tears that Krystal had let fall behind her. Fox would later follow those dimples all the way back to the house. But not to Krystal. Krystal was gone. Krystal was gone forever.

Fox knew there was almost no point in chasing her. Why bother? After what he'd just done, she'd probably kill him after she finished deviously causing him pain in more ways than he could imagine. He'd done it for her own good, but Fox wasn't able to tell her that. He hadn't been able to form the words to soften the blow. Now, there was nothing Fox could tell Krystal to make her understand. Fox had known before the words had left his mouth that it would end like this.

Fox hated himself for it.


	7. Old Friends

A pitch-coloredduffel bag cut through the darkness, and landed with a soft thud upon the bedside table. A sleek paw deftly grazed the light switch, exerting just enough force to move the switch – minimal energy used, and none wasted. This was how Panther preferred things to be: sinister, quick, seamless, and seemingly no effort.

Panther glided across the floor to the bed of hisnew apartment. The apartment was a rather droll place –nothing special. The apartment was really nothing more than a temporary stop for Panther until his job was complete.

His job. Panther's teeth flashed in a grin that was not as much unpleasant as it was... Cold. The job was killing Peppy, that annoying fool of a rabbit. Peppy had several times made Panther look foolish back when Star Fox and Star Wolf were not just alive, but rivals. Panther was more than ready to extract retribution for those humiliations. Panther sat himself down on his bedand glanced to his left toward his duffel.

With almost a mind of its, Panther's left hand glided over his duffel, and the it seemed to open like a flower. The bag's contents weren't exactly what you'd find in your ordinary daisy, however. This was _Panther's _flower, and the content fit accordingly. Despite the dim light gracing the room, the contents of the bag gleamed. Every possible tool an assassin could ever use was tucked neatly away inside separate compartments. Some of the pieces were used to disintegrate victims. Other pieces were used to physically tear victims apart. There was one odd looking machine in the bottom left corner that actually turned victims inside out, but that wasn't what Panther was interested in just now. Panthers hand roamed to the very center of the bag where Panther kept his prettiest toy where he could always admire its deadly beauty. Panther undid the straps that secured it to the bag, and gently lifted it out. Simply looking at the weapon would tell the observer that it was built for one purpose; bringing death to the universe. The weapon was jet black with a polished sheen only a caring owner could achieve. The weapon was rather compact relative to it's ability, about the size of a standard issue blaster rifle the police used. The technology employed, however, was well ahead of anything that Spec-ops teams had available, let alone law enforcement. Inside the inner chamber of Panther's merchant of death were two atoms; One atom of Hydroxigen Plerusiaxide and the second a simple hydrogen atom. Plerusiaxide was a rare element only discovered a few years prior. It was known to be violatile, but as of yet the self-absorbed scientists hadn't found a practical -yet safe and legal- use for the new element. Terrorists were not hindered by legal red tape, nor were they worried about safety. Within a year, an underground group had come out with the deadly tool that Panther now cradled. By spinning the Plerusiaxide atom to near the speed of light and then causing it to collide with the hydrogen atom, a reaction was then generated capable of blowing through a three meter thick wall made of solid diamond. After causing the reaction, the weapon then channeled the energy into a second chamber which formed and molded the energy into a state in which it could be directed with a great degree of accuracy. The energy was then finally channeled into the barrel, which had little purpose but to direct a now thin and short beam of incredibly destructive energy into whatever was unfortunate enough to get in it's way. Panther's weapon was incredibly destructive, just like Panther himself. Some assassins liked having a jack of all trades weapon. This, however, was no jack. This was Panther's joker.

Panther acquired the weapon the way he usually did: Killing. Panther had quite a network of roots and informants in the underground world and he knew before almost anyone when the weapon was completed. Panther grinned at the memory. It was really the inventors fault more than anyone. You simply don't make a weapon like this and expect people not to want it. Panther wanted it.

And Panther always gets what he wants.

Panther carefully placed his precious weapon back in his bag and resealed the duffel with the same seamless grace and precision with which he opened it. Panther was still smiling, and the smile was just as cold. Panther had someone to kill and plenty of fun ways to go about doing it.

Despite having a job, Panther was still uncertain about his employer. Panther disliked the way the deal had been set; It wasn't Panther's way. Panther's way to be in control and to know exactly who and what he was dealing with. For this job, Panther knew almost nothing as far as who had given him this job. Or, for that matter, how he would be paid. This was an unfortunate turn of events, and this meant Panther had a potential loose end in this mysterious employer. What was even more disturbing was the fact that Panther, despite his wide reaching network of information, was unable to get the slightest read on who would go through as much trouble as the mystery employer had to eliminate Peppy. There were crackpots and jealous peers, but Peppy was well received by the public. There were no crackheads that would go this far. No matter how far Panther dug, there was nothing he could turn up to so much as hint as to who this could be. Panther growled. Even though he didn't get the answer to this particular question, he'd found other much more interesting things.

Chief among them Kursed.

_Or should I call her Krystal?_

Panther had uncovered the past that Krystal had tried so hard to bury beneath years of misinformation and dead leads. Sifting through his many sources, Panther had managed to piece together almost the entirety of the the lost history of the blue vixen. Panther had spent good time and effort on doing so, which seemed unlike him. Panther had little regard for life; his job dictated that he be willing to forgo a friendship for a client. If any of his past friends were there, they would have mocked him for this seeming folly. Oddly enough, the answer was buried in Panther's past, which he too had tried to leave and forget.

_ A Few Years Prior, At A Motel Located Within the Lylat System – Exact Location Unknown._

Panther was ready.

Panther was not a new player in the game; He was a hunter. Panther would stalk his prey, pounce, and would never miss. He never expected to miss either. His confidence was well founded – He was the very picture of a ladies man. His dark black fur was glossy and well kept. His teeth were pearly white, and his tail was active and enchanting. Panther was secretly extremely prideful about his tail, and he spent almost and entire hour of his daily workout working on gaining increasing ability to conduct the movement and actions of his tail. This was a well kept secret, as there was no doubt that Panther would never hear the end of it from Star Wolf. Plus, who knew if Krystal would approve?

_Ah, Krystallll..._

Panther purred out the name of his latest prize-to-be. She was positively enchanting in every possible way known to the male species. She had come over from Star Fox not three months before. She'd been heartbroken and torn open at the time, and obviously still was. It was clear to Wolf that joining his team was nothing more than a way to strike back at Fox, but Wolf allowed her to join anyway. She was after all a decent pilot. As for the scenery she provided, well... It couldn't hurt the public image.

Panther had been trying hard to draw her in since the day he had seen her. Panther's charms were legendary and his smile as charming as they come, but Krystal seemed almost disgusted with Panther's advances. Each time Panther made a move, Krystal countered and destroyed his offensive attack. This did not deter Panther. For Panther, this was a game of chess in which his opponent had three times his pieces, and three moves to his one. An impossible scenario to win for everyone except the famed Panther. His major move was in action now, and had taken some time to coordinate. Panther had taken an excused absence from Star Wolf without explaining why. He had flown down and rented a fabulous room in a very glamorous hotel. He could not explain this to Wolf because Wolf would then have to cover for Panther if Krystal asked what Panther was up to- which she undoubtedly would. Krystal would know immediately if Wolf was lying, so it was best for Wolf not to know anything.

_Those who are ignorant cannot lie..._

Panther then invited Krystal down planetside without actually telling her he was in a hotel. He simply gave her coordinates and told her to meet him. Not many details, he wanted her to be curious enough to come down without a drawn out explanation. She'd grill Wolf, and finding nothing she would then come down to meet him and the game would commence. The curiosity commanded by Panther would doubtless drive her to the point of insanity if she did not come see, so Panther was confident he would have her within the hour.

Panthers confidence was beginning to wane eight hours later.

***RAP RAP***

Two short, staccato knocks sounded out on Panther's door. Leaping off the motel bead, Panther bounded to the door. Before he opened it, however, Panther took a few minuets to brush back his hair, make sure he was sleek... Work a few kinks out of his tail. Just to keep her waiting, and in suspens-

***CRASH***

Panther stared with his mouth slightly agape at the now splintered door sagging crazily on one hinge, and a calm blue vixen standing uninterested on the opposite side.

"Hello Panther. You wanted to see me? I really hope this isn't a lame attempt at trying to seduce me, I'm really in a rather foul mood right now." Krystal smiled as she finished. It wasn't a pleasant smile. It was a I-will-kill-you-if-you-are-screwing-with-me smile. Panther realized this was no time to try and set up a lovely evening. If he wanted a chance, he would need to get to the point.

"Hello darling... I was wondering if you could spend the night? For such an expensive hotel, the bed is rather cold..."

"You really did, didn't you Panther? You dragged me down here to hit on me, didn't you?" Krystal stepped across the doorway. Panther was feeling threatened and on the defensive. He tried to flash a smile.

"I am not hitting on you. I would never 'hit' on an object of such exquisite perfection!"

"It seems like you're doing it now asshole. Maybe rethink your plan?" Krystal snarled the insult. Panther decided to try a different tack.

"I merely wanted you to spend a night with someone to help you forget your troubles and your past is al-" Panther was in midsentence when two things snapped. One was Krystal. Her eyes flashed red and she snarled out a frightening curse as she jumped Panther. The second thing to snap was Panther's rib. As he went flying across the room propelled by a solid right roundhouse kick. Almost before Panther impacted the far wall, Krystal was right back in his face. Punches fell like rain and claws like lightning. Panther was in shock before he could defend himself. Krystal let off her attack only long enough to haul him upright and body slam in him down, causing Panther's head to smash against the floor. Krystal resumed hitting him, but this time used he strikes to punctuate her words.

"You. Don't. Know. What the HELL. You. Are. Getting. Into. You damn. BASTARD. You think you can just. Sleep. With me? DAMN. YOU." Krystal paused again to lift the dazed and bloodied Panther up and throw him bodily across the floor. Krystal slowly made her way over, yelling all the way.

"I've gone through HELL and back and it's JUST beginning. You think you are the real shit don't you? You bastard, you poked in the wrong damn place this time. You think you can take his place? Fox is more man than you are or EVER will be."

Krystal proceeded to kick the prostrate form of Panther.

"If you ever bring this up again, I swear to God or WHATEVER you hold holy I will make you suffer through a hell well worse than anything you will find in life after this. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? DAMMIT, DO YOU.. DO You... Do..." Krystal's screams slowly melted to gasps, which became sobs. She slumped over, tears and emotions racking her entire body.

"Damn you Fox... What have you done..." Krystal whispered.

Then she fled.

That was the last moment in which Krystal could be easily traced. She desperately ran from everything and everyone. Her name, her past, her friends, everything. Gone. Wiped. But she couldn't wipe away the memories. Not hers.

She couldn't wipe Panther's memories either.

_ Current Time, Peppy's House_

_Oh God, Fox, what are you doing? You never think this stuff through. Damn it damn it damn it. Why do I get – Oh to hell with it._

Fox was extremely agitated and nervous. It was mainly his location that was making him edgy. It was rather odd that Fox had tangled with snakes, giant lizards, flesh-eating talking birds, and heaven knows what else, but none of these situations made Fox quite as nervous as the one he was presently in. To be specific, he was outside the door of Kursed's room. As much as the specific place bothered Fox, it didn't bother him quite as much as the fact that he had just _knocked _on Kursed's door.

_You know what's going to happen, she's either going to kill you, or she's going to maim you, or cause you extremely unpleasant bodily pain, or... DAMN it Fox, why the hell are you doing this?_

Fox was pacing up and down in front of the door. Fox could almost feel the carpet wearing thin under him. It had been three minutes since he'd knocked on her door, should he try again? Or he could leave. Yes, leaving would be the better bet for his long term health, but... He had to speak with her again! He had to explain, or at least try. He had to do something. Anything would work. But Fox was certain that if he didn't at least try after these years of pain, sorrow, and wishing for a second chance then he would never get that chance again. With that in mind, Fox strode up to the door again and again let his fist fall.

*_**Bang Bang Bang***_

Fox stepped back, and watched the door like a hawk. One minute slipped by, then two. The door just stared back at Fox, completely unrelenting and unsympathetic. In fact, in Fox's mind, the door was almost telling him to screw himself. It was mocking him. It's deep face that he had admired a few hours before was no longer an ornate piece of art, it was an ugly leering face throwing Fox's dreams back in his face. Fox's temper started rising, and he gritted his teeth.

_Don't lose it Fox... Don't lose it..._

Fox stared hard back at the door, as if trying to win. The door wouldn't budge and wouldn't back down. It just sat there, staring back at Fox, leering, applauding his failures, clapping, whistling, goading, prodding.

"THAT'S IT!"

Fox took a step towards the door, fist raised. Death and thunder would have surely come down upon the poor woodwork had the door not suddenly relented. Fox stopped, confused. Did the door just back away? Fox blinked. The door hadn't back off, it had opened. Kursed was standing there, glaring at Fox with daggers in her eyes.

Fox took several seconds to piece together the peculiar scene from what he imagined Kursed point of view to be. Fox had woken her up, banged on her door, screamed he'd had enough, and was now standing in front of Kursed with a red face, bloodshot eyes, and a raised fist. No matter which way Fox turned it, he couldn't find a way to make this look good.

"Uhh... Kursed!... I was... coming to uh... heh, talk to you, and there was... there was a bug on the door, you see, and I was going to mash... uh..." Fox's utterly lame and pointless excuses trailed off when he looked at Kursed eyes. They were filled with fury and pain, and utter, undiluted rage. Fox felt his head get light. He was utterly screwed,and he knew it. Fox's tongue searched for answers, excuses, reasons, explanations, and absolutely nothing was coming out. Fox was once again in front of Kursed and once again was unable to form intelligent sentences. This time, however, it looked very likely that Kursed would dismember him instead of ignoring him. Fox needed to act, but he was locked up. Too late. Kursed took a step forward, and Fox saw a flash of brilliant blue fur...

_ A Few Hours Later_

"Wakey wakey dumarse. God, it feels good to say that knowing you aren't going to threaten me with some form of punishment. You know what, I really am starting to enjoy being free, Fox. I really am."

Fox was utterly lost and disoriented, unsure of where he was or when. But the voice he remembered. It was like a far away memory locked deep away, like his childhood memories. Every now and again he'd stumble on one or two and take a few minutes to reminisce about his past, but this was much more real. This wasn't childhood, and this wasn't fleeting. This was... Falco?

Fox slowly opened his eyes and adjusted to where he was. He was on a bed; that much he could gather. As Fox's mind's pieces fell back into place, he was able to determine he was lying on his bed in the room that Peppy had given him. Fox rolled his eyes over to the left side of the room, trying to locate the voice.

"Tell me Fox, did she slug you? I can't find a mark on you to save my life, but I swear to God you were unconscious and everything. Really freaked me out, y'know? Thought she'd done a number on you."

Fox shrieked. It wasn't a manly shriek, it reached a higher pitch then Fox's voice had for several years.

"HOW the HELL did you get in here? Where'd you come from? WHO ARE YOU! You aren't Falco, you can't be Falco! I'm dreaming... No, I'm crazy! I'm just crazy, that's all. Hahahaha! I'm crazy! I've gone off my rocker!" Fox had at some point during his slightly deranged monologue gone to the far wall of the room, and was now staring wild-eyed at the foot of his bed, where a feathered avian creature sat, laughing his ass off at the scene he's just witnessed.

"Fox! It's me! Falco! One and only, and I can still kick your ass in an Arwing any damn day of the week!" Falco stood up, straight and proud. Fox just stood against the wall, left eye with a peculiar twitch.

"You... You aren't... What? How? How did you get here?" Fox was in borderline shock. Falco was still laughing.

"I found you out on the floor, dude. Peppy sent me back here, and I was in the hall, and you were facedown in front of Kursed's door. Funny thing, you were unconscious and all, but I didn't see a welt or anything, it was almost like you fainted." Falco had his mirth somewhat under control now but wasn't entirely through with his convulsions.

"But... How did you get... HERE? Here-here Falco!" Fox was still against the far wall. Falco choked down his laughter.

"It's a bit of a long story. Anyways, not the time now." Falco sobered down completely before he made his next statement. "I'm really more interested in _your _story."

Falco flashed a quick grin again.

"Especially the part about how you got you ass kicked by a skunk. I want _all _the details on that one."

**Hey everyone, I hope ya'll had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thanks for all the comments. Remember, I embrace criticism, but don't particularly like flames. Thanks!**


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